Dealing with insider threats requires a different strategy from other security challenges because of their very nature. Insiders have a significant advantage. They are aware of the organization’s policies, procedures, technology and vulnerabilities. They often have access to important systems, business IP and sensitive data. As such, they can cause a business the most damage compared to external attackers such as hackers.

An unprecedented number of employees in the United States are currently working remotely for at least part of their workweek. This is partially due to the global pandemic, but the truth is that many employees were shifting to remote work even before the coronavirus crisis. Studies have shown that both employers and employees can benefit from remote work.

Employee Monitoring is the process of tracking employee activities such as app use, internet browsing, email communications, file transfers etc. An employee monitoring solution allows a business to keep an eye on its users so that they cannot put the organization in harm’s way intentionally or accidentally by leaking sensitive data, sabotage, fraud, theft or other miscreants.

For most businesses, the corporate boundaries have expanded over time. The traditional office has now morphed into a hub-and-spoke model with an increasing number of employees working remotely. This shift to remote work isn't new. Between 2005 and 2018, there was a 173% rise in the US remote workforce. The trend spiked in 2020 when 88% of organizations worldwide encouraged remote work to flatten the pandemic's spread.

A growing number of businesses are allowing their employees to work remotely for at least part of their work week. Right now, it’s estimated that 42% of workers in the U.S. are working from home. Even though working from home is becoming more common, many companies have still not taken the necessary steps to complete their digital workforce transformation. The key to successfully shifting to remote work is keeping tabs on your team with the help of employee monitoring software.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has led many businesses to transition a large number of employees to remote work. The shift could end up becoming a long-term trend; it’s expected to continue after the pandemic ends. Therefore, it is more important than ever to develop strategies for managing and responding to risks within your organization. Internal risk management procedures will need to adapt to the issue of insider threats, a challenge which is compounded by remote work.